Potion For Potion
by secretfanficlover
Summary: Igor Karkaroff goes up against Severus Snape as a sixteen year old in a Potions contest.


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

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Word Count: 616

Title: Potion For Potion

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Hogwarts

Hangman: [Character] Igor Karkaroff

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"Karkaroff, pay attention," the Potions professor muttered to the sixteen year old. He was doodling some offensive drawings of the professor in his notebook. She was a tall, big breasted woman, with curly black hair.

"Yes, professor," he said with a grin, dropping his quill to the desk.

"So, anyone in our class want to volunteer for the inter school Potions contest?" she asked.

Igor withheld a laugh, their entire class was dismal at Potions, even he knew their strength was in the Dark Arts. She looked around the class for a hand to raise, and then she scanned her class list with their last Potion practical results.

"Igor Karkaroff," she said.

"What? Professor, I stopped," he exclaimed haughtily.

"Class dismissed, except for you, Karkaroff," she added. He rolled up the parchment on his desk and slipped it into his bag. It wouldn't help for her to see those.

"I see you have the best results of your year," she said, her eyes bore down on him.

"Excuse me?" Igor said confused.

"You're the best Potion student we have," the professor insisted.

"That's depressing," he replied. "My Dark Arts results are nothing lower than Exceeds Expectations."

"I understand our school isn't well known for Potions, but the Headmaster wants us to hold our school name high among the other contenders, and you are our only chance," she added. Appealing to ego was always a good idea with Igor, who believed himself of higher stature than the idiots he went to school with.

"Which other schools are competing?" Igor asked, curious.

"Hogwarts, Uagadou, and Ivermony," she said.

"I see," Igor said, the thought of showing up those other schools convinced him, he would take part, and of course, he would win.

To everyone's surprise, Durmstrang defended themselves well against Ilvermorny, and the final came down to Hogwarts and Durmstrang.

The boy from Hogwarts was a lanky boy, with black messy hair, and something in his eyes that reflected Igor's own. He had a thirst to prove himself. He needed to be better than everyone, he wanted to show them.

Igor knew how it felt, but he wasn't intending on going easy on him.

"Hello, I'm Igor Karkaroff," he introduced himself holding out his hand for the boy to shake.

"Severus Snape," he replied.

"I don't recognize the name," Igor replied with cheek. Surely he could defeat a half-blood.

Severus blushed and Igor prided himself in psyching out his competition.

"We have the final contestants, Severus Snape from Hogwarts, and Igor Karkaroff from Durmstrang," the lady announced and the boys took their places in front of their cauldrons.

She took a piece of paper from a hat and announced: "Draught of the Living Dead," she said. There was a silence that fell over the crowd. Surely, this was too much for a sixth year student to achieve?

"Just do your best," she said encouragingly, clearly thinking the same as the rest.

Igor wasn't planning on doing his best, he was going to win. Unknown to him, Severus intended to win by any means as well, and Severus knew something Igor didn't- Severus knew exactly how to brew the potion, and not only that, he had also messed with the Durmstrang students ingredients, ensuring he would fail.

Merely an hour later Hogwarts was declared the winner, and a trophy was handed over to Severus Snape, and he was grinning at the crowd. Being bested by this boy made Igor think that perhaps he needed to become closer acquainted with him. He seemed to be a powerful figure that would be a good contact to have in the future.

"Well played, Snape, well played," Igor said by way of congratulations.


End file.
